Democracy in Canada

Canada: Democracy was 7 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
7
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
32nd
of 176 countries
All-time high
9
in 1983
All-time low
0
in 1841
Years of data
185
1841–2025

Democracy in Canada, 1841–2025

0246810184119332025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for democracy in Canada is 7, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, democracy in Canada peaked at 9 in 1983 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1841.

That places Canada 32nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1840s 0 0 0 9
1850s 0 0 0 10
1860s 0.9 0 3 10
1870s 3 3 3 10
1880s 3 3 3 10
1890s 3.4 3 4 10
1900s 4 4 4 10
1910s 3.8 3 4 10
1920s 5.7 3 6 10
1930s 6 6 6 10
1940s 6 6 6 10
1950s 6 6 6 10
1960s 7 7 7 10
1970s 7.4 7 8 10
1980s 8.7 8 9 10
1990s 9 9 9 10
2000s 9 9 9 10
2010s 8.9 8 9 10
2020s 7 6 8 6

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 32 Brazil 7 compare
  2. 32 Gambia 7 compare
  3. 32 Israel 7 compare
  4. 32 Mauritius 7 compare
  5. 32 Montenegro 7 compare
  6. 32 United Kingdom 7 compare
  7. 32 United States 7 compare
  8. 32 Vanuatu 7 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is democracy in Canada?
Democracy in Canada was 7 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest democracy recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 9 in 1983.
What is the lowest democracy recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1841.
How does Canada rank for democracy?
Canada ranks 32nd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is democracy rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 185 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Democracy
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 29,594 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Political regime of a country using the Regimes of the World classification by political scientists Anna Lührmann, Marcus Tannenberg and Staffan Lindberg, including ambiguous categories.